Easy opening container



F. W. NEGUS ETAL EASY OPENING CONTAINER Jan. 26, `1965 Filed Oct. 2l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FREDE/CK W. /VEGUS ATTO/(Nif Jan. 26, 1965 F. w. NEGUS ETAL 3,167,237 l EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

INVENTORS WED/579m( W 605 BY OSC/4K H. W/Ll/AMS/V ATTORNEY 3,167,237 EASY OPENING CONTAINER .Frederick-'Wi Negus, Fond du Lac, and Oscar H. Williamson, Neenah, Wis., assignors to International Papery Company, New York,N.Y., a'corporation of New York Filed Oct.r 21, 1959, Ser. No; 847,813

This invention relates to paper board shipping containers, and'more particularly to an end loading corrugated container having quick opening features for packaging canned food and beverages.

Itis desirable to form V`or1ep1ece blanks in' a continul ous'operation with as little Waste as possible, to providea partially formed blank which can be' shipped' in ilat conditionto save space-and freight charges and which can then Vbe erected, filled and sealed to form a strong compact container for contents such as twentyfourrcans of beer, Awhich can withstand the stresses of shipping andhandling and which can then be rapidly and easily openedby hand by-the ultimate consumer.

-VThe container of the invention is particularly well adaptedfor rapid eiiicient production on automatic container blank forming machinery, for shipping in knocked down at condition and--for rapid erection, illingand closing with automatic packaging machinery and finally for quick opening by the consumer.

These and other objects and advantages are provided by the container described and claimed herein in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the at-one-piece blank from underneath, i.e. inside the erected box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the blank partially formed and being erected from lat into rectangular condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective showing the erected container being closed after it has been tilled with its contents;

FIG. 4 is a perspective which shows the closed container being opened; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective which shows the container after it has been opened.

K In the drawings, a fiat one-piece blank 5, preferably of corrugated paper board, has top, bottom and side portions respectively designated 6, 7, S and.9 defined by 'longitudinal scores 10 and transverse scores 12 which provide fold lines for erecting the box. The body portions 6-9 each have separate end aps 14 and 15 separated rom each other by die cut slots 16. A gluing tab y18 having gluing aps 19 is integral with the body portion 7.

The side portion 8 has severing means to sever it longik* tudinally along a tear line 23 including a tear tab 20 which may be conveniently formed by die cutting the material of the portion 8 at a transverse score line 12 and preferably so that it intersects the transverse score line 12. A tear tape Z2 is adhesively attached underneath to the material of the side portion 8 so that it exr tends substantially longitudinally of the side portion S Vfweakness 26 extending substantiallyY from the severing .means and along which they are severable under light force when the side portion 8 is severed along the tear. line 23.

The other side portion 9 has a longitudinal fold score 28 'extending between opposite transverse score lines 12 and its end flaps have lines of weakness 30 extend- 3,167,237 Patented Jan. ze, 1965 ICC ing substantially from the fold score 28 and along which they are severable under light force.

The blank s isparnanyl formed by foldingit alongthe side portion 9 'and its end tla'ps15'.' This forms a manufacturers joint so that the blank 5 assumes the con'- dition shownin FIG. 2 in which it may be' folded and shipped inflat condition. l .l l l.

When the box is Ito be lled, it is erected into rectangular condition with the end flaps 14fand 15' of'at least one end protruding co-planar withtheirrespective. body portions 6-9 and' the contents are insertedjas byk automatic filling machinery in the usual' manner through one open 'end of the erected box. Then the' end aps 15 ofthe side portions 8 and 9 are turned in aty right angles to the body portions 6-9 as seen in FIG. 3 and then the end flaps 14 of the top and bottom portions and 7 are turned over and secured as by gluing tothe surfaces of the end flaps 15 on opposite sides ofthe lines of weakness 26 and 30, so that the closed end of the box assumes the condition seen in FIG. 4. The opposite end of the box is closed in the same manner.

To open vthe boX the tab 20 has been conveniently formed intersecting the transverse score line 12 and it protrudes slightly so that it may be grasped by the thumb and forenger. Thus it may be torn away from the side portion S and toward the opposite end as seen in FIG. 4. Although the tear is made in the material of the body portion S so that its edges may be somewhat random and ragged, it is guided and reinforced by the tear tape 22 so that a continuous tear strip is removed from one end of the body portion 8 to the other terminating at the tab 24. Alternatively, the tear may be started by the tear tab 20 and made, say half way along the box, and completed by grasping the other tab 24 and tearing back to complete the removal of a tear strip. I

The box may now be opened under light force by severing the end naps 15 of the side portion 8 along their lines of Weakness 26. The end ilaps 15 of the other side portion 9 are thereby severed along their lines of weakness 30 and the opening of the box is facilitated by its ability to fold open along the hinge formed by the longitudinal fold score 28 on the opposite side panel 9. The use of two tabs 20 and 24 serves not only to provide means to start the tear at both ends of the 4tear line 23 but also by the die cuts by which they are formed to connect the tear line 23 to the lines of weakness 26 so that when the side panel 8 has been severed there remain only the lines of weakness 26 and 30 to be severed under the light pressure necessary to get the box completely open. Y

It will be observed that the tear tape 22 is applied slightly offset from the lines' of weakness 26. This is because the formation of the blanks 5 is a continuous operation in which thegtear tape 22may be continuously laid on to a moving web of the material forming the blanks, after which the blanks are die cut and severed across the outer `extremities of the aps 14 and 15 so that in practice the tear tape extends to the edges of the end-flaps 15 of the side portion 8 on which it is laid. The offsetting of the tape 22 is therefore desirable, so that the tape does not cover and interfere with the formation of the lines of weakness 26.

The lines of weakness 26 and 30 are conveniently formed as by partial slitting of the end aps 15 leaving intermittent bridges of material across them, which may be broken upon severance of the side panel 8 along the `the teaxj means in conabinatioii`v`viti1r.theassociafedlines,j` J

outjdpartingffrolmfthe scope 'of th invention.j

gwhileithelcontainenisfeonveni beard.'

; We claim 1 atta cuisiner/df he ive'fin i 10 Y 1 said fear tab-*being ycut-inth material` lof said portion, a second vte'axr iab; cutrinfrthe material; of said portionl 'zand fo'rxnedit'Saidiopposite'transvelse'score line? said y tearvv ineans ieluding' a t'ear .tape attachedimde'rneah'to'v A paperboard FcOniainefiaVng-'fp,battons and side.,

portions' definedl by .longitudinal Q and ran'sver'se score` i prtisnsj'bing' segura; as sgidspaaps sa oppositie 'Sidsj j ofy said lines of iwea'kness, said' endfaps beingY sever'ablef" i, i i ,25

'hsite sid@ pfnfiilV .having beingpsecured. ltosaidY last inentioned flpsgpri opposite sidesof their. said lineszof'gwleakness, vsaide'nd 'aps'hav` ingkrsaidzlinesjof' Weakness.beingfseverable under light force :to open" saidf container* and :said 'longitudinal fold score. providing a hinge indien-said'sidel .PQrtion yis severed;

,yRLEJIDRUMMONDExamines i alonetudinal feld -SCQrei Lexf.

' tending between'fitransverse swcoreflinesY and its endV a'ps having lines Qfwe"akess extending substantially from the. material Vof 'S'idfportio Vand;exten/cliiig` fr'r'n Duden blorthfsaid tear-tabs to "thefedges iffwtlie end. a'p's'o'f said 4p'jr'tioii land, said lines of Weakness ofthe end 'a'p of' Ysaid portion'being-.parallellyoffset fron1 fsaid Stear tape. 

